If you don’t live in Ireland or Australia, you probably have no idea that there’s a sea change coming in world football, and the demise of International Rules Football was just the start of it all.
As you might recall, the Gaelic Athletic Association scrapped the International Rules series with the Australian Football League after on-field violence marred the 2006 series. The AFL responded by raiding the GAA for football talent — and there was quite a bit of talent willing to travel to Australia to be the next Tadhg Kennelly, in no small part because AFL players actually get paid to play. Gaelic Football is strictly an amateur code, and some footballers would rather not have to give up their day jobs to play.
The sheer number of young players leaving for Australia, however, seems to have forced the GAA’s hand.
Stars of Ireland’s two homegrown sports for men, Gaelic football and hurling, called off strike plans Thursday after reaching a deal to receive payment for the first time in the 123-year history of their amateur leagues.
Sports Minister Seamus Brennan said that, starting in January, the government would begin paying out a total of €3.5 million (US$5.2 million) annually to the top 1,900 players in the Gaelic Athletic Association.
Their level of pay will depend on how far their county-based teams advance toward the all-Ireland championships staged each September, when crowds exceeding 80,000 pack Croke Park stadium in Dublin.
Keep in mind that Gaelic Football has been an amateur endeavor for the last 123 years. It’s a staple of sport and culture and history in Ireland, but it’s being overrun by the twin forces of globalization and professionalism, and this appears to be the only way for the GAA to keep their best and brightest from giving up dreams of Croke Park for cash in hand at Madejski Stadium and Melbourne Cricket Ground. Lots of traditionalists, like Tyrone volunteer Mark Conway, fear this is the end of their game, too.
Governments, our own included, stumble around trying to energise those two concepts. As Ireland increasingly comes apart at the social seams, we crave neighbourhood renewal … community development … community cohesion … social capital … and regeneration. Government invests hugely in trying, and largely failing, to create these things and scratches around for disappearing strengths such as citizenship.
All the while, for 123 years now, we’ve had something that’s delivered these in spades, quietly; unassumingly; but unbelievably effectively. That thing is the GAA. Yet, crazily, people now want to deconstruct it. Many of us will oppose the deconstruction of this prize-of-prizes that’s made an immeasurable contribution to Irish life. Because, anachronistic as it might be at the end of 2007, we actually believe in those things. …
It’s the one key difference between them and us: they pay and we don’t. Money corrupts, distracts, shifts the focus, demolishes “place”, attacks the value system, fosters greed, replaces “we” with “me.” Once you pay people to play sport, then whatever else you’ve got, it isn’t sport.
On the one hand, he makes a very valid point about how money corrupts a sport. One need not look past the bung culture in soccer, the endless recruiting violations in NCAA football, or the ongoing steroid scandals in any sport to see how much money changes things. Hell, rugby split in two a century ago over issues like this. It’s not really a new phenomenon.
On the other hand, people need to come to terms with the fact that their football game is not a beautiful snowflake. If you’re losing your best and brightest to a pro league that’s literally on the other side of world, you have to make tough decisions about the future of your game. It’s entirely possible that the GAA would fall apart within a couple of decades if it didn’t decide to do this, and I don’t think anyone in Ireland would want that.
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to combine local traditions and professional sport. One need not look past Athletic Bilbao in Spain to see that. If they can do it, so could the GAA. The next few years should be very interesting for Gaelic Football.
(Thanks, Sean!)
11 responses so far ↓
1 Joe // Dec 18, 2007 at 3:29 pm
This is a little shocking, but I should have known this was coming. How long could a sport survive when its best players are being lured to play half way around the world for six figures?
I am glad that the Irish government, not the clubs are paying the players. I think this will keep some of the local traditions of gaelic football, just like Athletic Bilbao. Yes, even Athletic Bilbao might have to give up the tradition of fielding all-Baque sides: they have been near the relegation zone the past couple years.
One of my greatest attractions to Gaelic football as an American was that it was an amateur sport. I am sad to see this go, but I know it was for the good of the game. I know this sport will survive and prosper, but I don’t if it will ever be the same.
2 Ronald Dale..... // Dec 18, 2007 at 5:15 pm
While it may have been a factor, I am not so sure you can give the AFL that much credit for all this. Really I think you need the opinions of those involved in Ireland, but it has been repeated over and over this year (out of Ireland) that the number of guys coming to Aussie rules is insignificant compared to the numbers lost to soccer and rugby.
To me it is the reality of having so many guys contributing to the large scale financial success of an organisation and getting no financial personal return for it – as well as having to answer to that organisation at every turn. Eventually that will always come to a head where those putting on the product on the field want a share of the massive spoils.
3 aussierules // Dec 18, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Dave, you can’t blame the AFL on its own here. The number of Irish players that have been offered contacts and have refused outweighs the ones that actually come to Australia and play. There was a total of 4 players drafted this year.
Because of the politics involved there are quite a few clubs here that do not persue the Irish players. Including Sydney where Tadhg Kennelly plays. I am pretty sure there are quite a few Gaelic footballers that get recruited to play soccer as well.
I my opinion there is now way the sport could survive by not paying it’s players in todays sporting society. Why shouldn’t the players expect some renumeration for the entertainment the provide the country.
4 Simon // Dec 18, 2007 at 8:25 pm
Just a note to say this isn’t pay for play or professionalism , at least not from the GAA’s point of view. These are yearly grants to help cover the demand of the Inter county game . The GAA it’s self will not be touching the money it will be the sports council of Ireland but its still a very big change how ever i’d rather the Irish government paid Kerry players just under €5,000 per year than some runner who will come last in a warm up heat and will cost 100,000 per year .
Dessie Farrell ceo of the GPA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_Players_Association ) talks alot about professionalism in his book http://www.amazon.com/Dessie-Tangled-Up-Blue-Farrell/dp/1860591981/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198023767&sr=8-1
5 a different dave // Dec 19, 2007 at 3:17 am
The EPL casts a much bigger shadow over the GAA than the AFL does or ever will.
Losing players to the AFL wasn’t a serious issue by itself; it was probably just the final straw.
6 Fence // Dec 19, 2007 at 5:17 am
Yeah, I’d have to agree with Simon there, it isn’t really been seen as professionalism over here. The govt. is giving grants to amateur sportsmen so they aren’t being paid by clubs etc.
Of course it is a definite move in that direction, but it has been coming for a while, and imo, the right move. I wouldn’t like to see a totally professional GAA, but I think it is only right that the players get something back.
7 Will // Dec 19, 2007 at 11:24 am
Nominal amateur status hasn’t hurt college football in the US. If anything, I’d say it’s seen as a plus by its fans. Of course, college football has the benefit of the scholarships that would otherwise cost up to a couple hundred thousand dollars over the four years. Perhaps the government stipends (perhaps with some sort of lip service to offsetting costs or lost career opportunities or some such) will allow high-level athletes to continue to play, and the outward flow of talent will be a small-enough trickle that the GAA will endure, and can still claim, like the NCAA in the US, that the athletes are playing solely for the love of the game. As a fan of college football and a non-Premiership club in Britain, I can vouch for there being a market for competition with less-than-world-class athletes, IF it means something to the fans.
8 Eric // Dec 21, 2007 at 9:33 am
You make some interesting points about professionalism and professional sporting culture. The thing is, if you are training full-time, there needs to be some kind of compensation for the players. It’s about time that they considered paying at least some of the players.
They don’t even have to pay all of them. They could limit it to senior levels, and have the minor players, who are invariably teenagers, remain completely amateur, since they are probably still in school anyway.
Funny that you mention all of the significant issues with intercollegiate athletics in the United States. Considering the money wagered on the GAA every year, and I will admit that I placed a few bets when I was in Dublin, I am shocked–shocked!–that there has not been a major pointshaving scandal associated with the GAA during that period of, what was it, 123 years? It boggles my mind that nobody has even been tempted to throw a match or at least influence its outcome due to betting action for all of that time.
You know, if they really wanted to, they could keep it amateur in the sense of the old Soviet CSKA teams, who were officially in the army, but their jobs were to play.
9 Simon // Dec 21, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Eric , spread betting hasn’t been that big or well know of in Ireland but I’d say with it’s increase their will be a scandal in the near future .
10 gabila bertrand // Feb 18, 2008 at 2:34 pm
i think there are still soccer talents like us that just want a chance to play and have something so if you need players find am ready to play this is my email gabilabanguket@yahoo.com
11 Liam // Jan 28, 2009 at 6:50 pm
We’ll send that contract out to you straight away Mr. “gabilabanguket@yahoo.com.” So keep an eye on your letter box.